Editing Unfit for Command (section)

==Content and criticism==

The book criticizes Kerry's judgment in battle, his truthfulness, his entitlement to certain medals, and his later anti-war activities. The book was based in part on interviews with veterans who served in or with Kerry's division, and also on biographies of Kerry.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Regnery |date=2008-08-17 |title=Book Details – Unfit for Command |url=http://www.regnery.com/regnery/040809_unfit.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804002901/http://www.regnery.com/regnery/040809_unfit.html |archive-date=2008-08-04}}</ref> Several members of Kerry's crew stated that O'Neill failed to interview them.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2004-08-20 |title=Friendly Fire: The Birth of an Anti-Kerry Ad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html |first1=Kate |last1=Zernike |first2=Jim |last2=Rutenberg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524135357/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html?ei=5090&en=8afa4fded4046b86&ex=1250654400&partner=rssuserland&pagewanted=all&position= |archive-date=May 24, 2006}}</ref> Neither O'Neill nor Corsi had any firsthand knowledge of Kerry's service. O'Neill served on the Swift boats after Kerry left Vietnam and Corsi never served in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/email/Fight%20the%20Smears%20-%20Unfit%20for%20Publication.pdf |title=Unfit for Publication |publisher=[[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|Obama for America]] |date=2008-08-14 |access-date=2008-11-14}} page 36</ref> According to the Swiftboat skipper who served with Kerry, the book was "wrong."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8524900_ITM |title=Swift boat skipper: Kerry critics wrong. |publisher=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=2004-08-04 |first=Tim |last=Jones |access-date=2008-11-14}}</ref>

Kerry's fellow sailors released a point-by-point rebuttal of the claims and stated that "The book's authors don't give Kerry's supporters the space or the credence that they warrant."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40224-2004Aug27.html |title=What Matters About Kerry and Vietnam |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 28, 2004 |first=Colbert I. |last=King |access-date=2008-11-14}}</ref> According to the ''[[Seattle Times]]'', the government documents support Kerry's war awards and claims.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002012250_swiftboat22.html |title=Participant in mission, documents support Kerry's war claim |publisher=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=August 22, 2004 |access-date=2008-11-14}}</ref> Some veterans interviewed for the book complained that their statements were edited to strip out material favorable to Kerry.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2004-08-20 |title=Friendly Fire: The Birth of an Anti-Kerry Ad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html |first1=Kate |last1=Zernike |first2=Jim |last2=Rutenberg |access-date=2010-05-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817023329/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html |archive-date=August 17, 2010}} "Mr. Runyon said the edited version was stripped of all references to enemy combat, making it look like just another night in the Mekong Delta."</ref>

At the same time the book was being criticized, the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth group was being criticized because "None of those in the attack ad by the Swift Boat group actually served on Kerry's boat. And their statements are contrary to the accounts of Kerry and those who served under him."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.factcheck.org/article231.html |title=Republican-funded Group Attacks Kerry's War Record |publisher=[[Factcheck.org]] |date=August 6, 2004 |access-date=2008-11-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703204151/http://www.factcheck.org/article231.html |archive-date=July 3, 2008}}</ref>

After controversial statements made by Corsi became public, O'Neill denied Corsi's coauthorship of the book, saying that Corsi was "simply an editor and not really any sort of co-author."<ref>“Scarborough Country,” ''[[MSNBC]]'', 10 August 2004</ref><ref>“John O'Neill Interview with Wolf Blitzer,” ''[[CNN]]'', 11 August 2004.</ref>  However, portions of the book<ref name="excerpts">{{cite web |title=Excerpts from Unfit for Command |url=http://www.learnedhand.com/kerryunfit7.htm |access-date=2007-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323061302/http://www.learnedhand.com/kerryunfit7.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2007-03-23}}</ref> contain material also found in articles posted under Corsi's name at ''WinterSoldier.com'', a website critical of John Kerry,<ref name="communistshonorkerry">{{cite web |last=Corsi |first=Jerome |title=Communist Vietnamese honor John Kerry, the war protester, as a hero in their victory over the United States in the Vietnam War – Part II |publisher=WinterSoldier.com |date=2004-07-27 |url=http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=20040604194804799 |access-date=2007-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050324092901/http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=20040604194804799 |archive-date=2005-03-24 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="coordinatingwithenemy">{{cite web |last=Corsi |first=Jerome |title=Coordinating with the enemy: Vietnam Veterans Against the War in Paris and Hanoi |publisher=WinterSoldier.com |date=2004-05-03 |url=http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=2004060123330738 |access-date=2007-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305152602/http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=2004060123330738 |archive-date=2005-03-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and O'Neill is cited in a later book as describing Corsi as helping to write ''Unfit for Command'', and urging him to back out of media appearances after the controversial comments became public.<ref>“To Set the Record Straight: How Swift Boat Veterans, POWS and the New Media Defeated John Kerry,” by Scott Swett and Tim Ziegler, pp. 120–124</ref>